Shoulder pad



E. W. TILL SHOULDER PAD June 7, 1932.

Filed May 8, 1930 I72 Zzenibr:

Edugz'h WTIIZZ, 4 7% W WM fii fi ya Patented June 7, 1932- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWIN W. TILL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORTO A. J. BEACH GOM- I PANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA SHOULDER PAD Application filed May 8, 1930. Serial No. 450,756.

My said invention relates to improvements in shoulder guards or protectors such as are used by foot ball players and the like.

1 The invention aims to provide a construc- 5 tion which will afford the utmost freedom to the arms and enable the player when desired to raise his arms straight upward close to the sides of his head and when in such a position will have the necessary freedom of lo movement in throwing or catching the ball.

A further object is to provide a construction which will automatically adapt itself to different sizes and shapes of shoulders.

With these and other objects in view the invention includes the novel construction hereinafter described, that which constitutes my invention being defined by the claims appended hereto.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a front view of the improved shoulder pad.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of one side thereof, and

Fig. 3 is a central transverse section of the portion shown in Fig. 2, the position of the parts when the arm is raised being indicated by dotted lines.

Referring by reference characters to this drawing the numerals 1, 1 designate front leather strips or breast protectors designed to cover the breast of the player and have their juxtaposed edges connected as by lacing in the customary manner, such strips having narrowed extensions 1a passing to the top of the shoulder where they are connected by stitches to similar strips or protectors for the back of the wearer. These strips or protectors and their connecting extensions are lined with suitable padding material such as felt as indicated at 2.

Secured to the connected extensions 1a directly over the shoulder and preferably adj a- 5 cent the edge of the extension adjoining the neck, is a web 3 of flexible material such as strong canvas which has its end doubled over the edge of the shoulder part 1a and secured by stitches or analogous fastening means. 4, 4a and 4b designate protecting caps of firm or rigid material such as very stiff leather which have their inner edges or margins secured to the web by stitches or the like, the outer cap 4?) being secured to the end of the web and the inner caps at intermediate points so that the cap Jean overlaps the cap 4?) and in a similar manner the cap a overlies the cap 4a.

The web thus serves as a flexible means con necting the caps successively to each other and the series of caps to the shoulder portion of the main pad or protector.

The outer cap at?) is provided with a lining pad 5, but the other pads are unlined whereby their free edges are adapted to slide or telescope on each other and on the back of cap 46 as the arm is raised.

WVith such a construction the utmost freedom of the arms of the player is possible,

and he can raise them vertically until they are close to his ears and in this position move them freely for catching and throwing the ball. In the raised position of the arms above the horizontal, the caps will as sume a substantially vertical position in their just themselves by not covering quite so much of the arm between the shoulder joint and elbow.

Such an overlapping arrangement also enables the player to more readily draw on a jersey thereover due to the telescoping or collapsing action.

The portion of the lining 2 which extends up over the shoulder is made wider than the guard extension parts la, being extended sufficiently far to underly the caps 4 and 4a and the inner edge of the outermost cap 4?) but is not connected to any of said caps.

I claim:

1. The combination with a guard having a portion shaped to fit on the top of the shoulder, of an outer guard cap and a plurality of intermediate caps, all of said caps being arranged in overlapping cooperating relation, and freely flexible means connecting said caps to each other and to the shoulder portion of the guard.

2. The combination with a guard having a portion arranged to fit over the shoulder, of shoulder and arm joint protecting means ineluding a freely flexible web having one end connected to the shoulder portion of the guard, said Web extending outwardly therefrom, and a plurality of caps separately secured to said web in overlapping relatively movable cooperating relation.

3. The combination with a guard having a portion to fit over the shoulder, and breast and back protecting portions, of a web of flexible material having its inner end connected to said shoulder portion adjacent its inner edge and having a free remaining portion projecting outwardly over and beyond said shoulder portion, and a plurality of protecting caps having their inner edges severally secured to the free portion of said web at spaced intervals, said caps being disposed in overlapping relation.

4. The combination with a guard, of a narrow strap portion shaped to fit on top of the shoulder at the junction with the neck, an outer guard cap and a plurality of guard caps between said outer cap and the narrow strap portion, all of said caps being arranged in overlapping, cooperating relation, and freely flexible strap means hingedly connecting said caps to the narrow shoulder strap portion.

5. The combination with a guard, of a narrow strap portion shaped to fit on top of the shoulder at the junction with the neck, an outer guard cap and a plurality of guard caps between said outer cap and the narrow strap portion, all of said caps being successively arranged in overlapping, cooperating relation, a freely flexible web one end of which is connected to said narrow shoulder strap and extending outwardly therefrom, all of said caps being secured to and hingedly supported in common by said flexible web.

'6. The combination with a guard, of a narrow strap port-ion shaped to fit on top of the shoulder at the junction with the neck, an outer cap normally occupying a position spaced a distance from said narrow portion, and a plurality of additional caps, the outer portion of one of which overlies the inner, 

